Page 29 of Tormented Hearts
“A rabbit.”
Their gazes met over the fire. Suddenly, he wished it was something a little larger so she’d end up in his arms again.
He arched a brow. “Do you fancy some fricassee?”
Her eyes rounded. “What? No way.”
“I brought extra backpacking meals to keep us both going for a while, but a little more protein wouldn’t hurt.”
Her lips grew tighter across her teeth and her eyes were shiny in the darkness. “That. Is. A. Bunny.”
“It’s food.”
“It has a face.”
“Most food starts with a face.”
“Not my food. I’m a vegetarian.”
He stared at her. Dammit.
It made sense now, why she’d insisted on going through the store of food and selecting certain ones—she was choosing the meatless ones. And Hawk’s pack was stuffed with meat options.
The bush shook as the rabbit vanished as if it heard his thoughts.
“You’re serious?” he asked.
“Very.”
He looked down at the pouch he just added water to. “I suppose chicken and dumplings is off the table then?”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s probably not real chicken.”
She let out a dramatic sigh and hugged herself. He grabbed a spare jacket from his pack and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” She wrapped herself in it, chin tucked down, staring into the flames as if she’d resigned herself to not eating until they got off this mountain.
After searching through the food he brought, he found one meatless option, and it was dessert.
“Blueberry cobbler in a pouch?”
She met his gaze. “That sounds good.”
After he prepared it for her and she took the first bite, she nodded. “Navy would like this.”
His lips quirked. “She does love her blueberry muffins. Of course, Chef makes the best.”
“I’ll have to try them when we get back to the ranch.”
“I’m sorry we lost your food.”
“Nothing to be done now.”
“Tomorrow gets harder.”
“Then I guess we should sleep.”
